Coventry handed lifeline as club enter talks to stay at Ricoh Arena and EFL expulsion meeting is delayed

COVENTRY CITY have entered talks to stop them being evicted from their Ricoh Arena headquarters next season.

And the EFL have postponed a vote, due to be held on Thursday, which could have seen the Sky Blues thrown out of the League.

PA:Empics Sport2 Coventry have been given some good news in their hopes of staying putPA:Empics Sport2 Coventry had faced becoming homeless and getting kicked out of the league

Coventry have been facing an uncertain future due to a legal row between their landlords Wasps Rugby Union Club and Sky Blues owners SISU.

But Coventry now say the EFL have delayed their action as the club have made "significant" progress in meeting the League’s stadium criteria.

A club statement read: “We can confirm that Coventry City Football Club has started initial discussions with Wasps Holdings Limited regarding an extension to our current licence agreement to play at the Ricoh Arena.

“We have worked closely with Shaun Harvey and the EFL over a long period of time on this matter, and are grateful to the EFL Board for giving us the extra time needed to bring this matter to a satisfactory conclusion, which would see Coventry City continue to play its fixtures in Coventry.”

An EFL statement made it clear that Coventry could have been kicked out of the league.

"SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS"

It read: "A planned Extraordinary General Meeting for Thursday 25 April to consider the future of Coventry City has been postponed, with a revised date set for Wednesday, May 29.

"The EFL Board had set tomorrow’s date to consider the club’s expulsion from the League if an agreeable solution as to where they will play their home fixtures from 2019-20 onwards could not be provided.

"The EFL has been in regular contact with the club over an extended period and, over the course of the last seven days, significant progress has been made with a solution believed to have been identified.

"To allow the club the maximum period of time to finalise appropriate arrangements, the EFL Board has opted to postpone Thursday’s EGM and remains hopeful such a meeting will not be required."

Coventry had been facing a ground-share with Birmingham City next season, 20 miles away – and the club say an agreement has been reached with a unnamed club if they cannot play at the Ricoh.